Super Cooper Summer 2015

Summer 2015 has been the Super Cooper Little Red Wagon Foundation’s busiest yet! Between traveling the world with friends who brought their Coop shirts along for vacation, to fundraising events in our home base of Southern Village, and helping several pediatric patient and families at UNC and Duke, we’ve seen the past few months fly by fast. Here’s a recap of some of favorite photos and moments so far:

Where in the World is Super Cooper?

One of our favorite summer traditions is the “Where in the World is Super Coper?” social media contest. Each summer we ask our friends to take their Super Cooper t-shirts with them on their summertime adventures and share their photos with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Later in the fall, Super Cooper selects a winner who receives recognition and a gift card at the Rockin’ Run, with this year’s winner crowned on the October 3rd race day. From Rio de Janeiro to the Outer Banks, Coop has had quite a summer! Here are some of our favorite photos:

Maddie Smith is studying abroad with Global Players/IES in Rio de Janeiro and today brought Super Cooper along as she hiked 2,300 ft. to Christ the Redeemer at the peak of Mt. Corcovado! Obrigado, Maddie!

Lilly & Grady took Super Cooper to Costa Rica over the 4th of July weekend

Super Cooper made it to The Big Apple with the Herman family!

Be sure to send in your Super Cooper summer photos, by tagging us on Instagram (@supercooperswagon), sharing them to our Facebook page, or tweeting at us (@SuperCoppersRR) for your chance to win a gift card at the Rockin’ Run!

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The 2015 Rockin’ Run Family Sponsorship Challenge

July 25th would have been Cooper’s 8th birthday and this year, in his honor, we held our annual Family Sponsorship Challenge from July 15 to July 25.

A critical source of funding for the Foundation, Family Sponsorships directly support Super Cooper families by providing funding for housing and support services while their children receive cancer treatment. Family Sponsorships help us to provide essential non-medical services for families including hospital parking, meals and groceries, family support services, and housing in our Super ReCOOPERation houses for dozens of families each year. With the American Childhood Cancer Organization finding that 6 out of 10 families fighting pediatric cancer spend between $1,000 and $10,000 on these non-medical services, the need for Family Sponsorships is great.

Super Cooper was fortunate enough to have many families and members of our community support us during this critical fundraising period including the following families:

Thank you to the other families who became sponsors during this time! Your support makes a powerful impact in the lives of so many families.

THANK YOU!

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Summer Fundraising in Southern Village

Super Cooper loves calling the Southern Village neighborhood our home for many reasons, but especially thanks to the amazing neighbors, friends, and fans who have always shown us so much support. Every act of kindness and generosity means so much to Super Cooper and the families we work to support and this summer we were once again in awe of this amazing community!

One of the highlights of the summer was the 2015 Super Cooper Relay Invitational, hosted by the Southern Village Club, on Sunday, July 12th. We had a great day with swimmers and supporters alike, having lots of fun and raising funds to support families fighting pediatric cancer.

Thank you to everyone at the Southern Village Club for hosting, especially the SVGC Swimmers and Coaches, and the Hillsborough Sportsplex team that travelled to compete in this great event! A special thank you to neighborhood favorite La Vita Dolce for bringing their delicious coffee and to Donut World for bringing the best donuts in North Carolina, both of which generously donated a portion of their profits to the Super Cooper Foundation. In total the event raised $1,165 for Super Cooper families, allowing us to provide the support they need in their fight against pediatric cancer!

From young to old the thoughtfulness and generosity is in full force in our community and not just in big events like the Relay Invitational. Over the last six years we have had beautiful young individuals drop off their earnings from Super Cooper lemonade stands and it just warms our hearts. This was just another day where two young amazing kiddos, Charlie x 2 (pictured right), held a lemonade stand as a fundraiser for Super Cooper! You guys ROCK! Thank you for thinking about the foundation and continuing to inspire me and others.

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What’s Next for Coop?

As the summer comes to a close, the Super Cooper’s Little Red Wagon Foundation is excitedly looking towards the fall. With the Rockin’ Run and Family Fun Festival only a few weeks away, now’s the perfect time to register for the October 3rd event. This family-friendly event includes a chipped 5K and family bike race followed by a fun-filled festival with:

live music

food truck alley

giant slide

mechanical bull

mobile game unit

performance by Bouncing Bulldogs

live auction featuring Eric Montross and much more!

Register by by September 4th to secure your 2015 Rockin’ Run official t-shirt so that you can take yours along for the ride next summer!

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What’s Behind the Name?

The foundation’s name, Super Cooper’s Little Red Wagon, comes from the Hermans’ experience during Cooper’s repeated hospitalizations. When Coop was just 2 years old, the wagon became his chariot, his legs, and his reliable mode of transportation while he took countless trips up and down the halls of each hospital. No matter which cancer hospital they were visiting, the little red wagon was a common thread and a symbol of hope and perseverance.